The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-30
AFEW FACTS ABOUT SELLERS
Mr.. VIM. Henderson Reviews the Dis
trict Attorneys Remarkable Conduct.
How He Has Snubbed the Committee of One
Hundred and Refused Their Prefer of Aid
in Prosecuting the Election Cases.
ITO the Public:


cases were returned by the United States grand
jury late on Friday night of the Goth day of May
last, and few moments after got to my Office
on the next morning, Albert Beck, of the
indicted, came in and said that he from the
journal Of that morning that he had been in
dicted Of the election conspirators, and
asked me if would go on his bail bond with T.
M. Churchnan, w. G. Griffith and probably
some others. / replied: Il do not see that my
going on your bond will be inconsistent with
my duty a member of the committee of one
hundred, and will sign your bond with the gem
temen named He then left, and noticed he
went into Mr.. Grifiths Office which is the next
door to my room. In few momentsi followed
him into Mr.. Grihiths Office and found him in
conversation with Mr. @. Mr.. Beck was insist
ing his innocence. L at once said. Mr..
Griffith, our going on his bond has nothing to
do with his guilt or innocence; we are only re-
sponsible for his appearance at court During
the morning the deputy marshal called with the
bail bond and 1 signed it.
"On the Monday following there was a meet
ing of the executive committee OF the committee
of one hundred, and subcommittee of five was
appointed to tender to the district attorney, free
of charge to the government. the legal services of
w. z. Fishoaek (Rep) and Judge Robinson
Dem. to aid in the prosecution The subcom-
mittee concluded that il was advisable that Silas
IT. Bowen and myself should alone call on the
district attorney. ms we dtd the next uay, ana
were, to ali appearances. cordially received by
him. and making the object OF our call
known, he appeared to be willing to be aided IN
the prosecution by the gentlemen named, and
spoke in terms of praise of them. Mr.. Bowen
and congratulated ourselves the result of
our mission. He said, however, that he would
give us a definite answer in few days, and We
left thinking our mission was success. In the
course of the conversation he alluded to the mo-
tive of the conspirators, which was. he said. to
control the criminal judge in the interest of the
ali of ri tv ROVau waited
several days for an answer. and. receiving none,
we agreed to call him Saturday, the
9th instant, at 10 o'clock A. NJ At ten minutes
after o'clock that morning / met the district
attorney at the corner of Court and Pennsyl-
vania streets ana asked him if he would be in
his Office soon, and he replied no, that he was
days. l then informed him of the agreement of
Mr.. Bowen and myself to call on him that morn
ing, and observed that probably he could then
give his decision in the matter we had called on
! him about, to which he replied he had not
thought of il since; that he had not made I'D
his mind and we separated.
ION Monday morning, the 18th, Mr. Bowen
and / made what intended our last and
final call on him at the district attorneys Office,
and again informed that he had mot
thought of it, but promised to give definite
answer in very few days. Mr.. Bowen in
formed him that he would leave that morning
for Hanover 20 attend the commencement exer-
cises at Hanover College, and requested the dis
trlct attorney to inform me of his conclusion, to
save MIN trip to my Office. l suggested that
sion. He said no. he would call at my Office. [
was hourly IN expectation of a call from him,
when. to my surprise, on the morning of the
15th to receive the following note from the fell
low:
INDIANAPOLIS, June a. 1887.
''sr-I must decline having any consultation with
me tally sheet cases The Importance of these
and my of duty prohibit me from permitting
either the defendants their to select the
attorneys for the prosecution. Very respectfully,
EMORY b. SELLERS, U. S. Attorney.
civilian Henderson, Esq. Indianapolis"
Now, gentle reader, this is the polite ~ and
gentemanly (?) note Il. B. Sellers, the district
attorney for the United States, addressed me,
the representative of the citizens committee OF
hundred, after having three consultations
with me on the subject-matter of his letter. and
at each of which consultations he knew that /
MIR. Beck's bond, and when proposed.
in the presence of Mr.. Bowen, that he should in
form me of his conclusion by addressing me
note, he proposed to call on me at my office and
give his answer. At the time OF the writing of
this note he knew that all consultations were at
an end, and that desired no further conference
with him This note is nothing more or less than
a spiteful letter, written to crafty the malice Of
the defendants to the indictments, and their de-
tenders and apologists. In three days after writ
ing me that he must decline having any con-
sultation with me. because l was on the bond of
one of the defendants, ne wrote the chairman OF
the committee of one hundred as follows:
"IND1ANAPoL1s. June II, 1887.
''Sir-One of the gentlemen suggested as assistant
counsel in the conspiracy has declined to allow
his to be used in that connection. entertain
opinion of the high order of ability and char
acter o. the gentleman proposed but this
should further consider your proposition as
presented. l feel. however. that it is my right
such character ard ability will satisfy fair
MINDED person ID ,nst Sn
United States therefore il you will employ Hon. A.
W. Hendricks, shall at once recommend his appoint
EMORY B. SELLERS, U s. Attorney.
"si1as T. Bowen, Esq, Of the Committee of One
Hundred.
"a. W. Hendricks named by him to aid in
the prosecution is a lawyer and gentleman of
honor. A. w. Hendricks has superior in the
State but it well known TO the United States
district attorney when he penneG this letter that
A. w. Hendricks appeared before both Judge
Woods and Judge Gresham last winter and made
argument for all the defendants TO the indict-
ments. He also knew when he wrote this letter
that A. ". Hendricks was at that time helawyer
of one of the defendants to the pendingj indct-
ments. Cannot consult with me, when all con-
situations are over and none requested or ex-
pected, but can take one of the defendants attor-
neys to aid to prosecute the same case he is
defending OF course A. W. Hendricks could
not and would not sanction such use of bis
name Rut this is only in keeping with T.. b.
Sellerss duplicty and double dealing from the
time he entered on the consideration (2) of the
tally sheet FRAUDS. Before the case went to the
grand jury. as the represent native of the commit
tee went to his Office and protested against his
deputy having anything to do with the casesin
presenting 1t to the grand jury, and gave him
plain reasons why that individual should have
nothing to do with the cases; when he said in
positive words that he would take charge of the
cases himself, and that his deputy should have
nothing to 40 with IT, He said the same to an
other gentleman, YET after few days investi-
cation before the grand jury he abandoned the
field in the midst of the investigation and left
the city, leaving the investigation then pending
before the grand jury to this same deputy. an
individual who had in a pablo speech declared
the defendants innocent and that myself and
associates the committee of one hundred were
prosecuting innocent men.
~ submit to the President. the Sc nate of the
United States and the rest of mankind, if the
conduct of Il. b. Sellers, who processes to repre-
sent the United States In the prosecution of one
Of the most daring and are-faced frauds and
forgeres ever committed against free suffrage,
is fit person TO represent the administration in
this important business, or anything else.
II admit that went on the bail bond of Albert
Beck. of the persons indicted, with other
mem hers Of the citizens, commlttaa Being